Militant Belonging To LeT Offshoot Killed In Encounter With Security Forces In J&K's Shopian

The security forces initiated a cordon and search operation in the Kathohalan area of South Kashmir after receiving information about the presence of militants.

In an encounter with Jammu and Kashmir’s security forces, a militant from The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was killed on Thursday in the Shopian district. 

According to PTI, the security forces initiated a cordon and search operation in the Kathohalan area of South Kashmir after receiving information about the presence of militants. As the security personnel were conducting the operation the militant started to fire at them which prompted them to retaliate. This led to an encounter in which one militant has been confirmed deceased so far. 

The identity of the deceased terrorist is yet to be disclosed pending further investigation.

In a post on X, the Kashmir Zone Police said the militant belonged to TRF. The Kashmir Police further stated, incriminating materials, including arms and ammunition, were also recovered from the possession of the terrorist.

"One (01) #terrorist affiliated with proscribed #terror outfit TRF neutralised. Incriminating materials including arms & ammunition recovered. Search going on. Further details shall follow," the police said.

The operation is still ongoing as security forces continue their search to ensure the area is clear of any further threats.

This is following an encounter which broke out between the security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district last month, in which two terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were gunned down. The encounter started in Shopian's Alshipora after security forces launched an anti-militancy operation following an information about the presence of militants in the area, the police said. 

The killed terrorists were identified as Morifat Maqbool and Jazim Farooq alias Abrar belonging to the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, Abrar was involved in the killing of late Kashmiri Pandit Sanjay Sharma. The 40-year-old civilian was shot dead on February 26 this year while he was on his way to a local market in Pulwama.